Fall Color Shrubs

Yellow Foliage

• According to an extensive list provided by Dr. Michael Dirr in his book, "Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs," many shrubs display only yellow tones in their fall leaves. These include summersweet (Clethra alnifolia), Carolina allspice (Calycanthus floridus), leatherwood (Dirca palustris), witchhazels (Hamamelis virginiana and Hamamelis vernalis), Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica), pinxterbloom azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides), Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica), five-stamen tamarix (Tamarix ramosissima) and dusty zenobia (Zenobia pulverulenta).

Mixed Yellow-Orange-Red Leaves

• Numerous shrubs either produce mottled fall foliage colors or transform across the season to include all shades of yellow, orange and red. Some of these shrubs begin with burgundy or purple leaves, too. Examples of multiple-colored shrubs are smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria), enkianthus (Enkianthus spp.), fothergilla (Fothergilla spp.), witchhazel (Hamamelis x intermedia and Hamamelis japonica), Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), Oriental photinia (Photinia villosa), royal azalea (Rhododendron schlippenbachii) and many other azalea hybrids, rose bushes (Rosa spp.), Sargent's viburnum (Viburnum sargentii) and American cranberrybush viburnum (Viburnum trilobum). Exact coloration varies annually based on weather conditions. Sumacs (Rhus chinensis and Rhus typhina) often display a mix of colors that culminates in red.

Red-Toned Foliage

• The gamut of red in fall foliage includes shrubs that produce leaves in any array of orange-red to scarlet to dark red/burgundy/wine. The purest red hues develop on barberries (Berberis spp.), burning bushes (Euonymus spp.), shrubby dogwoods (Cornus spp.), cotoneasters (Cotoneaster spp.) and early lilac (Syringa oblata), according to Dirr. Variable orange-red that can attain burgundy and wine shades include disanthus (Disanthus cercidifolis), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) and bridalwreath spirea (Spiraea prunifolia). Much variation in final tone of red occurs in many species of viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium, Viburnum x burkwoodii) , Viburnum plicatum, Viburnum opulus and Viburnum dilatatum). Reliably orange-red to red fall foliage plants are flameleaf sumac (Rhus copallina), Chinese sumac (Rhus chinensis) and smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) as well as pinkshell azalea (Rhododendron vaseyi).

Colorful Fruits

• Don't disregard shrubs that display brightly colored fruits in autumn. Orange fruits occur on firethorns (Pyracantha spp.), red fruits on many hollies (Ilex spp.) and cotoneasters, lavender purple berries on beautyberries (Callicarpa spp.) and white berries on several shrubby dogwoods. Viburnums on the whole are known for copious fruit displays in autumn alongside their fall leaf colors. Depending on species, their fruits range from red to purple to black.